


Welcome back

by Zrttr



Series: Who am I when we are apart? [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: A heart to heart conversation, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:00:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25751749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zrttr/pseuds/Zrttr
Summary: Thirteen years old Nico probably would have turned as red as an apple at the idea of sitting by the beach, sharing a beer with a half naked Percy Jackson. But 22 years Nico was surprised by how at home he felt talking to Percy, even after being away from him for five years.
Series: Who am I when we are apart? [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1890913
Kudos: 13





	Welcome back

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like the friendship side of Nico's relationship with Percy is often overlooked by writers in favor of the romantic side. This is me trying to correct that

When he was on the road, Nico couldn't have felt more apprehensive. How are you supposed to act around a childhood crush who saw you for the last time when you were eighteen, and, by the way, just came back from a fucking warzone?  
To be frank, Nico had thought that no one was less suited to pick Percy up at the airport than him. That is, until Will told him that a guy in his first vacation from the army probably didn't want someone as talkative as Leo or Piper to pick him up. They had been dating for a very long time, but Nico still kind of hated losing a discussion to Will.  
Now, Nico was overthinking how he'd greet his cousin. His chance of preparing was taken away when a six foot tall, two hundred pounds, greek-statue-shaped man hugged him from behind and lifted him from the ground.  
Nico hadn't seen his attacker's face yet, but he became sure it was Percy when he elbowed the guy in the face and he let out a breathless laughter and dropped the son of Hades. Nico instantly checked his ribs for anything that could be broken, then turned to yell at his friend, but was a bit stunned by what he saw.  
The sharp jawline, high cheekbones and brooding expression were still there, along with his mischievous smile. What was new was the military haircut, that somehow still managed to be messy, the light scar on the bridge of his nose, and the somewhat harder and colder feel to his sea green gaze. Nico had seen that look on his eyes before, but only during battles.  
\- Do I dazzle you, Nicholas?  
The joke about his past crush on him brought Nico back to reality.  
\- No, I just can't look away from that ugly ass haircut you got. Did you do it with Riptide?  
Percy's coy laughter sent warmth through Nico's body, and he thought that maybe the Hero of Olympus hadn't changed that much.  
\- Hey, dude, did you come here with your car? 'Cuz after that much time in a plane there's no way in hell I'm shadow traveling.  
\- Yeah. Will's Ford Ka is in the airport's parking lot. Come on, I'll take you to Camp Jupiter. Frank prepared an apartment in New Rome for you.  
\- Well, there's somewhere I'd like to go first.  
\- Where?  
There was a spark of playfulness in Percy's expression, then he said:  
\- The beach. I haven't seen the Pacific in a while, and I'm on the mood for surfing.  
\- Surfing?! You don't even have a surfboard.  
\- I'm a son of Poseidon. I don't need a surfboard. Let's go, I wanna grab a six pack on the way there.  
Grudgingly, Nico led Percy to the car and started driving.  
A relatively comfortable silence was being built in the vehicle, but Percy promptly broke it by turning the radio on and tuning into a station playing "California Love".  
\- Seriously? The most die-hard New Yorker on the planet playing 2pac?  
\- I mean, Biggie's obviously better. But I'm planning on staying on the West Coast for a while, and I'm trying to get in the mood.  
Nico cursed himself. He had no way of knowing where the conversation would end, but he still felt bad for letting it get anywhere close to Annabeth. Percy pretty much only talked to his mom during he's time serving, which made a lot of people quite sad, but Nico had an idea of where he had been stationed. And it would have been much easier to return to New York.  
But, of course, Percy chose not to. He preferred the much less practical LA, and the reason why he was avoiding New York like the plague was blonde and had disturbing gray eyes.  
They stopped by a Walmart to get the beer, and headed straight to the beach. Upon getting there, Percy pretty much forgot about Nico, and the younger demigod had to watch the older one play with the water like a child until sundown.  
The image of a shirtless Percy Jackson coming out of the ocean and walking towards him would have made a younger Nico want to stick his head in sand. But now, older and more mature, the thing that captured his attention were the scars, both old and new.  
Nico honestly questioned himself about why would someone who had pretty much been a child soldier want to keep getting scarred like that in adulthood.  
Nico didn't do a very good job controlling his facial expression, because Percy sat beside him and said:  
\- If you wanna know why I left, you're gonna have to hand me one of those.  
Nico threw a can at Percy, and he grabbed it without even blinking.  
\- Who do you talk to when you're in doubt, Nico?  
Usually, Nico would just have said his boyfriend or Hazel. But that was Percy, and he deserved an honest answer.  
\- The dead.  
Percy chuckled, and it felt anything but funny.  
\- Why?  
\- Because it is all I know. - Nico said, knowing what would come out of Percy's mouth next.  
\- My relationship with war is weird. It tried to kill me when I was twelve, and I lost my virginity to a daughter of war when I was sixteen. But it's been an absolutly integral part of my life. A means to an end, but still an integral part of me.  
Percy took a sip of his beer before continuing, then laid on the sand when he started talking again.  
\- It's not like I feel good about killing and almost dying. But I don't know who I am without those things. Annabeth wanted to be an architect, and Grover wanted to find Pan. I never had a goal, but fighting made sense to me. I was good at it, and, more often than not, good things came out of the battles I won.  
Nico tried to think about that. What would he feel like if his contact with the Underworld was cut? Probably like a bee too far away from the hive. Definitely not good, and if Will was achieving his dreams while he faced an existential crisis, Nico would feel even worse.  
\- Shit, three gods made a pact to prevent my birth because they were afraid of what I'd do in a war. I went through puberty preparing for a war. I just don't know who I am without something to fight.  
Nico let that sink in. He knew what is was like to be a child of the big three. But he didn't know what was it was like to be the child of the big three. The one with the fate of the world on their shoulders.  
Nico didn't know what to say. There were no sarcastic remarks to make, or advice to give. That was the path that Percy thought would make him the happiest. Or the least unhappy, after all, Nico knew Percy too well to think that a life without Annabeth would make him feel fullfiled. So, the son of Hades simply opened another can, cheered, and said:  
\- I don't care if the gods don't have DNA, Percy. You're my family, and I just want you to be happy. If you feel like that's something you can't run away from, then I support you. I understand that you didn't contact us 'cuz you were afraid we'd convince you to come back, and you'd live a half assed life. I don't hold it against you. I just want you to be happy. Welcome back, cousin.  
Percy was surprised by what was the largest public display of affection Nico had ever given anyone, but an insanely wide smile soon broke through, and he happily gulped down his beer.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Comments and constructive criticism are appreciated.


End file.
